1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to an additive-storing tank assembly for putting an additive, such as carbonic acid gas, into water dispensed from a dispenser and a refrigerator having the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 illustrates an internal structure of a conventional refrigerator.
As shown, the conventional refrigerator has a storage space defined in a refrigerator body 1, which is partitioned into a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment disposed at left and right sides, respectively. The freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment are selectively opened and closed by a freezer compartment door 3 and a fresh food compartment door 5, respectively.
A filter 7 is mounted inside of the refrigerator body 1. The filter 7 filters water supplied through a first water supply pipe p1 from an external water source (WS). The first water supply pipe p1 is equipped with a first valve v1 for regulating the quantity of the water supplied to the filter 7 from the water source.
A water tank 9 is installed in the fresh food compartment. The water tank 9 stores the water supplied through a second water supply pipe p2 after being filtered by the filter 7. The water stored in the water tank 9 is maintained at a low temperature by the cool air in the fresh food compartment. The second water supply pipe p2 is equipped with a second valve v2 for regulating the quantity of the water supplied to the water tank 9 after being filtered by the filter 7.
The cool water stored in the water tank 9 is transferred through a third water supply pipe p3 to a dispenser 11 disposed at the front surface of the freezer compartment door 3. Further, according to the operation of the dispenser 11, the cool water stored in the water tank 9 is transferred through the third water supply pipe p3 to the dispenser 11 and is then dispensed out of the dispenser 11.
In the meantime, the freezer compartment is equipped with an ice maker 13 which produces ice by using the water supplied through a fourth water supply pipe p4 after being filtered by the filter 7 and then supplies the produced ice to the dispenser 11. The fourth water supply pipe p4 is branched from a portion of the first water supply pipe p1 between the filter 7 and the water tank 9. The fourth water supply pipe p4 is equipped with a third valve v3 for regulating the quantity of the water supplied to the ice maker 13 after being filtered by the filter 7.
However, the conventional refrigerator having the above-mentioned structure has the following problems.
In the conventional refrigerator as described above, the water from the water source is simply dispensed out through the dispenser 11 after being filtered by the filter 7 and then cooled in the water tank 9. However, the conventional refrigerator cannot provide water having various savors and flavors according to users' tastes.